Slow That Boar

SLOW THAT BOAR FOR THE PERFECT SHOTBY: David Walker

I realize that some of you will probably think I have absolutely lost my mind in what I am about to offer you. Go ahead, but know that what I am about to suggest has worked for me and for friends of mine with whom I have shared this secret.

Image you are walking along and come upon a hog that could be a quality shot, but it is on the move. Let’s assume this hog is much more interested in what it is doing and has no idea you are even there. You ready yourself to take the shot, but this pig will not stop moving. What do you do? I say, “Snort!”

Last year I was hunting row crops in early evening and came upon a nice hog tilling the soil. This guy was alone, and as I stopped to shoulder my rifle, he did a 180 and started to walk away. I snorted, and he immediately made a left turn toward me. I snorted again in hopes of turning him, and he made another left turn thereby presenting me a broadside shot at less than 40 yards.

I shared this story with one of my hunting buddies and of course received the normal name calling…”hog whisper”, “the man who talks to the hogs”, etc., etc. Interestingly, a few weeks later, this same friend and his son were hunting with me. They chose to work around the side of a mountain. I gave them about an hour and then headed off to meet them on the other side. As I did, I heard a rifle shot. Reportedly the two were taking a rest and heard a hog snorting and grunting behind them as it approached the road they were on. As the lone boar was crossing the dirt road they sat on, my buddy “instinctively” snorted. Guess what? The hog stopped and presented a great shot opportunity.

I am sure I’m not the first guy who has snorted to hogs or thought about it. But the truth is, in certain instances, snorting does work; and it is just another thing to consider when chasing these great animals.

As with anything else, practice makes perfect. However, be careful of your surroundings or you will have folks thinking you have gone off the deep end! Be safe.

This article was taken from the May/June 2008 issue of Wild Boar USA magazine.